Effect of whey protein – alginate wall systems on survival of microencapsulated Lactobacillus plantarum in simulated gastrointestinal conditions.

Whey protein isolate is a suitable carrier system for probiotics in addition to sustained and
targeted release in gastrointestinal tract. In this study two different wall materials namely,
whey protein isolate with sodium alginate and denatured whey protein isolate with sodium
alginate were employed for microencapsulation of Lactobacillus plantarum (mtcc 5422) using
spray drying and freeze drying techniques. Microencapsulated powders final moisture content,
cell survival (before and after drying), particle morphology and stability in simulated
acidic and bile conditions were investigated. It was observed that the moisture content of
the spray dried powder was lower than freeze dried powder and spray drying method produced
almost 9–12% less cell survival compared to freeze drying method. In simulated
acidic and bile conditions denatured whey protein encapsulated cells showed better stability
than undenatured whey protein. This study indicated that combination of denatured
whey protein isolate and sodium alginate wall matrix was able to deliver probiotics with
improved survival rate and suitable for controlled core release applications.